


This World Will Change

by TheLittleLostTimeLord



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Modern Era, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Secret Relationship, World War II, also during catfa, sort of, the media gets pics of them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 10:58:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2690321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleLostTimeLord/pseuds/TheLittleLostTimeLord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"I believe this world is gonna get better; it always has, after all. I believe someday they’ll find a way to fix all your medical problems, and someday, people like us won’t have to be afraid. If we’re lucky we’ll get to see that someday"</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	This World Will Change

The day he got the letter telling him he’d been drafted, Bucky went to the bank. He didn't have any money in the bank, just a small safety deposit containing his grandmother’s wedding ring. His mother had given it to him and told him to give it the the girl he asked to marry him. He withdrew the ring and closed the account. He didn’t think he’d be returning the ring to it. Then he rushed home, avoiding the sketchier allies, careful not to look like he had anything of value.

When he got home he took several deep breaths before opening the door. Steve was on their ratty old couch, sketching with charcoal. Bucky recognized the flowers he was sketching, lilacs. They’d always been Sarah Roger’s favorites. When she was alive her home had always been full of them, if she could afford it.

Bucky took another deep breath and felt his grandmother’s initials, carved into the inside of the ring: SRB, Sylvia Ruth Barnes. If all went well, soon they'd stand, at least symbolically, for Steven Rogers Barnes. He got down on one knee, pulled the simple gold ring out of his pocket, and took one last breath before beginning. Steve was already looking at him strangely.

“Steve, right now this world’s real dangerous for us, for people like us, but I believe this world is gonna get better; it always has, after all. I believe someday they’ll find a way to fix all your medical problems, and someday, people like us won’t have to be afraid. If we’re lucky we’ll get to see that someday, and if we do, if we ever can, will you marry me?” He held out the ring.

“Oh, Buck…” Steve’s eyes were watering. “Yes! I’d love to marry you!”

Bucky kissed him as he slipped the ring onto Steve’s small finger. Everything felt right.

 

_-_-_-_-_

 

Dr. Erskine looked at Steve’s ring and lifted an eyebrow, but said nothing. Steve noticed and, blushing, told him it was his mother’s ring. Sarah Rogers had had to sell her ring in ‘34, when money was tight. It had been hard for her but she knew Joseph would understand. Steve was sick and nothing was cheap. She’d managed to keep his ring, though. It wasn’t as fancy and was dinged up from the trenches. One of his army buddies took it from him, as he died, and sent it back to her, as he’d asked. She’d been buried with it strung around her neck on a chain. Erskine didn’t look like he entirely believed him.

“It’ll get fried tomorrow, and it’s not going to fit around your finger afterwards. I’ll hold onto it for you and you can figure out what to do with it afterwards.” Steve hesitantly agreed and for the first time since Bucky had put it on his finger, removed the ring.

After the serum, Steve strung the ring on the chain with his dog tags.

 

_-_-_-_-_

 

Steve kept up the lie that it was his mother’s ring after he woke up in the 21st century. He learned, quickly, that many things had changed, just like Bucky had hoped, but he was still Captain America, and he was expected to maintain a certain image. And without Bucky he didn’t see the point in telling the truth, but he never took off the chain with his dog tags and the ring.

Then Bucky came back. After they fought on the helicarrier and Bucky pulled him to shore it was 6 months before anyone saw him again. Then, one morning, he was waiting outside the tower, ringing the doorbell. He could have smashed his way in, but instead he’d chosen to stand awkwardly, nervously, on the sidewalk, waiting. Steve rushed down to meet him, but once he was facing him, slowed, and approached cautiously.

“Come here, punk.” Bucky opened his arms and Steve rushed into them, burying his face in Bucky’s shoulder, crying a bit.

“The world changed, Buck, just like you hoped it would. I’ve still got the ring. If you still want to, I’d like to fulfill the promise I made you.” Steve pulled back a bit to look Bucky in the eyes. Bucky kissed him.

The passerbies snapped pictures, that made their way to the front pages of gossip magazines, but neither Bucky not Steve cared. They had a wedding to plan.

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://www.wolfstarforever.tumblr.com)   
>  [My Writing Tumblr](http://www.thelittlelosttimelord.tumblr.com/)


End file.
